It's time to bake a tomato pie. Right now. Tomatoes are at their peak of production and perfection. These are the tomatoes that you wait for all summer.
These are the succulent beauties that make you take the salt shaker to the garden with you. Pluck a sun-warmed tomato from the vine and eat it like an apple, devouring it, salting as you go, juice running down your chin. It's pure summer bliss.
This recipe was new to me, and it was sent by a friend who knows how much I adore cooking. Unsurprisingly, Southern cooks, legendary in their culinary skills, created a magnificent pie like this.
This amazing pie oozes with ripe tomatoes, basil, bacon, and sauteed sweet onions nestled under a crisp, golden brown blanket of melty cheese, all nestled in a flaky crust.
Tomato pie can certainly be a main dish. Ideally, this pie should be served warm or at room temperature. You can make it ahead and refrigerate it. It tastes good cold but even better when you warm it up just a little bit to take the chill off.
The filling is so good that you don't need to feel guilty about using a store-bought pie crust, but do get a deep-dish crust because this is one plump pie! Here's a very easy pie crust recipe that tastes great, too. If you have the time, by all means, make your own!
Begin by choosing three nice, big, ripe tomatoes. I used both red and yellow tomatoes, but I would certainly have used heirloom-type tomatoes if I had some.
Line a baking pan with a thick layer of paper towels. Slice the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick; peeling them is unnecessary. Sprinkle them with salt and lay more paper towels on top.
Ripe tomatoes are very juicy, and you want to draw out some of that juice before putting them in the pie. Let them rest there for 30 minutes or even longer, then pat them dry.
Prick the entire surface of the pie crust with a fork to reduce shrinking. Next, bake it partway for about 15 or 20 minutes in a 400-degree oven. It should start looking dry and begin to brown ever so slightly. Take it out and let it cool completely.
Cook the bacon until it is fairly crisp, and set it aside to cool. My favorite way to make bacon is to bake it in the oven on parchment paper and then drain it on paper towels. Save the drippings!
Use the bacon drippings to saute a small sweet onion you quartered and sliced thin or chopped into small pieces.
Saute the onions until they are clear and tender, but don't brown them. A little bit of brown is okay; don't overdo it. While the onions are sauteing, chop about two tablespoons of fresh basil and crumble the bacon.
Put about one-half cup of the shredded mozzarella in the bottom of the crust. Then, add a layer of tomato slices. Season them with garlic powder to taste, some black pepper, and a smidge of sugar if you like. Next, add half of the bacon, half of the onions, and half of the basil. Spread another half-cup of cheese on top.
Repeat layers with the other half of the tomatoes, bacon, onion, and basil, seasoning as you did the first layer. Skip the cheese on this layer; you'll use it in the topping.
Mix the remaining two cups of cheese in a small bowl with mayonnaise. Add some parsley if you like and a little hot sauce if you would enjoy it. (I did not add hot sauce.)
Carefully spread this cheesy mixture over the top of the pie to the edge of the crust.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 40 to 45 minutes. The cheese topping will be golden brown and crispy. Let the pie cool to room temperature before serving. Slice it with a serrated knife. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
My husband is not normally a big fan of tomatoes in any form, but he sure liked this pie. I invited our daughter to try it the next day for lunch, and she declared it delicious!
Today, for lunch, I warmed up a slice in the microwave for about a minute and enjoyed it with an ear of sweet corn. What a treat!
Serve this tomato pie as an entree with a crisp green salad or seasonal fruit. It would also make a great side dish to any meat entree, whether chicken, beef, ham, or seafood.
I can't think of a better marriage of ingredients in this delightful dish. Tomatoes, bacon, onion, cheese, and basil are a perfect combination. Those Southern gals know what's cookin'!
Have you ever heard of a pie like this? It's somewhere between pie, a quiche, and heaven, in my opinion! Those gals in the Deep South sure know how to make a fine pie! You are gonna love this one, "I do declare!"
A plump juicy pie oozing with fresh tomatoes, basil, bacon, and sauteed sweet onion under a blanket of mozzarella chees, all nestled in a flaky crust!
I am not fond of hot, humid summer days, but I sure do love all the fabulous foods of summer!! I think they are the rewards of putting up with heat, flies, and mosquitos!
I am a frequent flyer at the farmer's market and my favorite produce guy, Andrew. I am so excited! Andy told me he thinks he will have the first sweet corn of summer on Saturday and I can't wait!!
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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